The Best Spicy Brown Mustard for Sandwiches, Salad Dressings, and Hot Dogs
It's a special person who frets over the best mustard at the grocery store. Were we all so meticulous, our hot dogs would assuredly be much better. Still, when Team Epi sat down to our spicy brown mustard taste test, we wondered if there would be any discernible difference between the 14 varieties in front of us.
Immediately we could see some color variance from the addition of yellowing turmeric in a few of the specimens. There were some visible textural differences as well: a few had whole seeds while others looked impossibly smooth. But could the flavor vary that much? It turns out yes. But, you'd be hard pressed to make us choose an ultimate favorite—interchange the top five in any dish and we'd be equally happy, although they do have subtle differences that I'll outline below. But first, the fine print:
From yellow to white and squishy to firm, we tasted nine grocery store cheeses to find out which one deserves to be our go-to.
How We Tested
Each mustard was stirred or shaken and then either spooned or squeezed into a bowl without any other accompaniment. Eight members of the Epicurious team then tasted each mustard blind by swiping either pretzel sticks or cocktail sausages through the condiment.
What We Were Looking For
When it comes to spicy brown mustard (aka deli mustard), spice is literally in the name, so the winner had to have some punch. As mustard is often paired with something fatty, we wanted one with high acidity to help cut through any richness. The mustard couldn't have any strange flavors, like tarragon or—in one case—seaweed, that have no place in spicy brown mustard. Finally, we decided that pitting grainy mustard against smooth (much like chunky vs. smooth peanut butter) is a futile battle—meaning, it's ultimately a personal decision that each home cook must make in their own time.
Our Top-Rated Mustard: Kozlik's Canadian Deli Mustard
This 60-year-old Canadian brand is far and away the most pungent mustard we tasted. Just open a jar and you'll immediately smell what I mean. It has an aroma that I often associate with fermented foods, and perhaps that's why it rose to the top. The bright heat zings the roof of your mouth and fills your senses with fragrant heat that has a barely noticeable touch of sweetness on the finish. Don't let that confuse you though: this is not a sweet mustard. We tasted a few perceptibly sweet mustards that quickly found their way to the bottom of the pack. With Kozlik's, the sweetness just rounds out the pungency of a wonderfully piquant mustard.
BUY IT: Kozlik's Deli Mustard, $6 for an 8-ounce jar at Kozliks.com
Our Favorite Sinus-Clearing Mustard: Original Mr. Mustard
Grainier and hotter on the tongue than Kozlik's, Original Mr. Mustard is made by Woeber's, a family-owned Ohio brand founded by a German immigrant in 1905. With "HOT" emblazoned on the label, you might think it'll blow the roof off. Instead, it's pleasingly hot, with plenty of flavor to back up the fire. It has a horseradish zing that'll tickle your nose and make some of your more delicate companions' eyes water. The tingle will linger on your lips long after your pastrami on rye is gone.
BUY IT: Woeber's Original Mr. Mustard (Hot), $17 for a pack of six 7.5-ounce jars at Amazon
Our Favorite All-Occasion Mustard: Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard
Perhaps more acidic than some of our top picks, this brand tames the heat found in the others. If you're feeding someone who doesn't care for the BANG, BAM, BOOM of Kozlik's or Mr. Mustard, Kosciusko is a good option. There is some heat on the finish—it is brown mustard after all—but on the whole, it's mellow yet flavorful enough to add character to any dish.
BUY IT: Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard, $25 for six nine-ounce jars at Jet
Mustard Taste Test
Our Favorite Grainy Brown Mustard: Mustard Girl Stoneground Deli Mustard
While Mr. Mustard boasts some amount of graininess, Mustard Girl is all about grains: some ground, some left whole. It does have a touch of honey which lends some sweetness, but not overly so—it's still a pungent, spicy, definitively brown mustard. And, unlike the three mustards above, it comes in a squeeze bottle—essential for putting on hot dogs.
BUY IT: Mustard Girl All-American Stoneground Deli Mustard, $35 for twelve 12-ounce jars at Jet
The Best Brown Mustard You Can Buy Practically Anywhere: Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard
We would have liked a bit more kick from this condiment-aisle staple, but overall it came out high on our list. It has smooth texture, with just enough graininess to provide interest and a pleasing tanginess.
BUY IT: Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard, $2 for a 12-ounce squeeze bottle at Jet
The Rest
We also tasted, in alphabetical order: Boar's Head Delicatessen-Style Mustard with White Wine and Horseradish, French's Spicy Brown Deli Mustard, Heinz Spicy Brown Mustard, Inglehoffer Original Stoneground Mustard, Lars Own Swedish-Style Spicy Brown Mustard, Market Pantry Spicy Brown Mustard (Zesty Deli Style), Nathan's Famous Spicy Brown Mustard, Trader Joe's Deli-Style Spicy Brown Mustard, and Sir Kensington's Spicy Brown Mustard.
On the whole these mustards were fine—we probably wouldn't turn (most of) them away if spread on a bratwurst. But on their own—or with a pretzel—they just didn't hold up to the top contenders. Some didn't have enough of that zing, others lacked heat, and a few were practically indistinguishable from their (#sorrynotsorry) yellow mustard cousins. The worst offenders, however, were the few brands that went overboard on sweetness—there is a time and place for honey (or maple, or otherwise sweet) mustard, and this was not one of those times. To paraphrase a famous line: Give us pungency or give us death.
Oh, and speaking of brats:
Beer Bratwurst
